Having recently checked out two films from Mack Syler, Back Up Thesis and When in Rome, it was almost as an afterthought that he offered me the chance to check out an earlier film from 2008, The Choice.

The Choice centers around two buddies, known simply in the film as "Roulette Winner" (Reggie Harris) and "Roulette Loser" (Mack Syler). The two friends meet up for a night on the town at a local bar where their buddy serves as bartender. Their buddy (Raul Rincon) has scouted the joint for "pick up" potentials and spotted a couple of hotties. As luck would have it, both men score and pick up their respective young ladies and return to their apartments ready for action. As their situations heat up, both men are presented by their ladies with a condom.

What follows for each man is the answer to the question "Will I comply?" How each man answers this question will determine the course that lies ahead.

In many ways, The Choice is a far simpler and more straightforward film for Syler than Back Up Thesis or When in Rome. Yet, in this case the simplicity works wonders as the message that unfolds needs no gimmicks nor complex layers. The story unfolds to a driving rock beat that literally makes the entire screen feel like its pulsating, a pulsating that intensifies as the dialogue spoken by Harris and Syler rolls off their tongues. Mack and Mair Syler share D.P. credit, and their work here is stellar in lending a sense of foreboding without ever fully succumbing to the gloom.

It helps that Harris and Syler, who seem to work together frequently, have a tremendous chemistry and the energy between the two early on is believable and appealing. By the time our two women show up on the scene, the women being played by Veronica Syler and Jennifer Wimsatt, it's abundantly clear that the stage is set for something.

But what?

With a running time of 9:45, The Choice doesn't mess around in getting to its point but neither does it feel rushed or forced. It's as if we're watching a slice of these men's lives, yet these are slices that will ultimately determine so much more for both men.

For more information, visit the IMDB page listed in the credits for The Choice.